WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Monday will outline a plan to privatize the air traffic control system, urging the Congress to separate it from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The proposal to privatize air traffic control faces major hurdles in Congress where Democrats and some Republicans oppose it. Trump has frequently said that ongoing modernization efforts to the air traffic control system were already obsolete.
In a summary document sent to airlines and interest groups before the meeting, the Trump administration proposes a three-year transition period to shift oversight of air traffic control.
The proposal says a board made up of airline, union and airport officials would oversee the non-profit entity. The new entity should honor existing labor agreements but controllers would no longer be federal employees.
The Federal Aviation Administration spends nearly $10 billion a year on air traffic control funded largely through passenger user fees, and has about 28,000 air traffic control personnel.
Trump is expected to say the plan will save travelers time and save fuel costs for airlines. He will be joined by some executives from major U.S. airlines.
